Hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a supportive therapy for COVID-19 patients: a narrative review

The Coronavirus illness 2019 (COVID-19) was first observed to induce fever, dry cough, pneumonia, and dyspnea in the lower respiratory tract. Atypical manifestations, including digestive problems and cardiac symptoms, were also observed. The rate of mortality in the older population is greater than in the younger group, as well as in individuals suffering from comorbidities. Oxygen supplementation through a facemask, non-invasive ventilation, mechanical ventilation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation ECMO are some of the available supportive techniques. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) is thought to boost tissue oxygenation by increasing plasma soluble oxygen levels. HBOT also reduces inflammatory responses in COVID-19 patients, minimizing the negative impacts of the cytokine storm. Because the existing data on the efficacy of HBOT in COVID-19 patients is limited, the purpose of this article is to review the possible mechanisms of HBO, as well as data available on potential advantages, side effects and uses in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.